How to Become a Health Coach (Your First Two Steps)
/Do you want to become a health coach and support people in their journey to get healthier?
or…
Are you already serving others as a health coach and you just need to know more about the process of building it into a business?
You’ve come to the right place!
It’s what we do best here at Christian Health Coach Community - we support and train YOU to be a leader of influence in your community for healthy change!
Here’s how YOU can become the kind of Christian Health Coach who makes a real difference in people’s lives all while making an income for yourself and your family!
#1 Ask God to bring to your mind WHO to serve
Now... many times, He just shows us the next best step in our biz-building efforts. (Which is the best way anyway...less overwhelming this way.) So keep in mind, who He shows you to serve today may change as you and your business grow. Stay flexible with His direction and stay open-minded as He connects you to the precious lives He wants you serving.
Some Ideas on WHO You Can Initially Serve:
Couples who want to get healthy together
Families on a budget who want to eat healthy
Individuals or Families struggling with obesity
Baby Boomers who are sick and tired of being sick and tired
Moms with Young Kids
Moms with Special Needs Kids
Teenagers or kids (through the schools)
Single moms who want to keep their family healthy
#2 - Begin to think about HOW to package your message
The hard part here is not gathering the ideas (you’ll see they are plenty!) it’s in narrowing them down and figuring out which ones to start with. You have to commit to ONE idea for delivering your main message & ministry FIRST, then, once you develop and automate that one into a tangible offering for your people, you can begin to tackle the next idea!
Some ideas on HOW to deliver your message & ministry to YOUR people:
Private, 1-on-1 coaching appointments - hold over phone or Zoom either weekly or every other week, hold a detailed assessment with the client first, then take them through a lifestyle-change step-by-step program over a few weeks. (We provide a suggested program and more guidance on HOW to do this in our Christian Health Coach Academy!)
Group Coaching program - 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks long, limited to 10-20 people to ensure they are getting semi-private coaching from you - take them all through a step-by-step lifestyle change program that is tackling the MAIN problem that you help them transform!
1-2 hour Workshop - either virtual or in-person - covering ONE MAIN topic with actionable worksheets or workbook, slideshow, and interactive activities - use it to lead them into one on one coaching or a program with you
Pantry Cleanout or Grocery Store Tour - one-time service where you give personal attention to the client and guide them on how to do it. Include a workbook or digital guide they can use as well. Record it for resale and list it in your online store!
Cooking classes - one-time or several sessions service where you offer multiple spots - include a guide with recipes. Record it for resale and list it in your online store!
Speaker at Women’s Retreats or Community events - develop a signature talk to offer for a fee (or several - but start with one and get it down GOOD then move into the next one!) create a guide or short workbook that partners with it. You can offer the workbook a la carte or together with your talk.
Write an Ebook with your Main Message - give solutions to the main problem you are serving people solutions for - include fun extras; like recipes and how-to’s.
Of course, this is just a short list of some ways you can package your message and ministry.
I’m sure you are already brainstorming many more - just jot them all down in a doc, save them - and commit to the ONE that makes the most sense for you to develop now. Serve your community with that ONE offering NOW - you can begin developing new methods once you have the first one in place!
Some quick tips as you start your coaching biz:
Ask God to bring you the right mentors, support system(s) and colleagues you’ll need along the way - this is an important prayer for your business/ministry! It is truly difficult to navigate this journey alone, there is a better way. (I’ve seen many quit over this challenge right here - and I don’t want that for you or those you are to serve.) And, if you haven’t yet connected with us, join our warm support community here!
Begin to serve and be open to serving those you feel called to - listen to them intently, tune into what they are asking/saying, but don’t internalize their burden. Your role is to care, yes, but NOT be their “fixer” or “saver.” (This one has been personally hard for me to learn due to my empathetic self!) Your role as a coach is to be a caring, non-judging listener who offers gentle guidance, teaches them what they don’t know, and lets them know they are not walking the road alone.
Don’t feel intimidated by what you don’t know yet - you won’t EVER know enough anyway, if you think about it! You become an amazing coach by listening without judgement, researching the problems you are helping the client solve, keeping an open mind, and staying eager to learn, learn, learn! No one certification or course teaches it all...you have to be willing to be a lifelong student.
Being a coach is the highest form of accountability - your own healthy living standards are now higher as your community is watching you. But this doesn’t mean you are now under unrealistic expectations - the precious people you serve will want to know that you are a REAL person with REAL challenges and struggles, just like them! Don’t feel that because you are a coach, you have to hide this part of your life. Be real, be tactful and hopeful as you share, but be REAL in front of your audience. Their respect for you will only grow as they see you face hard things, but then bounce back and remain faithful to healthy choices.
You don’t need a Certification to initially begin serving your community as a Coach (see what I mean by this in more detail in this blog post here) You just need to get into action, begin sharing the message of hope and healing through the MAIN solution you bring to the MAIN group of people God shows you to serve! Education and certification can be added as you get to work and figure out WHERE you specifically need more training and support! Remember, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
This article is just a brief collection of ideas and encouragement to help you get started in serving others as a health coach.
You can join our thriving free community for faith-based health coaches and gain much more guidance, warm support and encouragement here! We offer ongoing training in the BIZ-BUILDING side of your health coaching business too - so be sure and jump on the email list through our free community page to make sure you get all the inside info!
I look forward to getting to know you in our group, hearing more about who you are serving and how - and helping you move beyond any challenge you are facing! I want you to know: you are so vital to your corner of the world, as you step out and serve - I want to help you any way I can!
Believing in YOU ~ Coach Bess